This invention relates generally to devices for dispensing liquid scent and more particularly to such devices that are capable of dispensing liquid scent at precise times and/or in precise amounts.
A common technique used by hunters and others to lure animals to a particular location is to dispense scents in that location. This technique is particularly useful in hunting deer. During mating season, a buck attracts does by making a “scrape,” in which the buck paws at the ground and deposits some urine thereon. When a doe is receptive to mating, she will also urinate on the scrape, signaling the buck of her interest. The buck will thus return often to the location of the scrape.
A person may dispense doe-in-heat urine to attract a buck to a particular location, acting on the buck's desire to breed. A person could also dispense buck urine, acting on a buck's dominance instinct. In other words, if a buck has established a scrape and detects the scent of another buck, he will return often to encounter the perceived challenger. In either case, a person typically dispenses the scent on the ground or a tree branch manually using a wick. However, studies have shown that deer have a very acute sense of smell. In some instances, deer have been able to detect human scent for 7–10 days after the human has left the area. Therefore, someone dispensing scent manually is likely to leave behind his or her scent and drive away the animal instead of attracting it.
In response to this problem, devices have been developed that allow scent to be dispensed while the person is not in the area. One such device operates on rising ambient air temperature to create a positive pressure in a reservoir that forces some of the liquid in the reservoir to be dispensed. However, this device does not accurately control the timing and amount of liquid to be dispensed. Another device uses a timing mechanism to actuate a series of rotating gears creating an up and down motion that strokes a manual pump from a sealed reservoir. While this device more accurately controls the timing of dispensing, the size of the reservoir is such that the user must return often to refill, thereby re-introducing human scent to the site. Using a larger reservoir is possible, but that would result in the solids in the liquid scent accumulating at the bottom of the reservoir and undesirable crystallization thereof.
Accordingly, there is a need for liquid scent dispensing device that dispenses scent a precise times over an extended period without excessive human intervention and without solids accumulation and crystallization of the liquid scent.